Schools hope to keep FFA program alive

"I want to go into marine biology."

"I'm going to be a vet."

"I'm going into biotechnology."

"I've decided to pursue agricultural advertising and marketing."

These are the career goals recently shared by several FFA members in a new Sisters High School program. That program is at risk.

With budget cuts looming over all co-curricular programs at Sisters High School, The National FFA Organization (formerly Future Farmers of America) wants to make sure that the community understands what the new FFA has to offer high school students.

"I'm starting at OSU/Lynn-Benton in the fall. I'm studying to be an Environmental Engineer," said Awbrey Cyrus, President of the Sisters High School FFA.

Today's FFA is focused on developing leadership skills and connecting academic work to the real world in a meaningful way. College-level credit for science, math, business and even English and history are available in the program, where students apply the math or science they are learning in the classroom to real world activities that they are performing such as gardening, raising a steer, or building a barn.

Along with leadership skills and academics, the field trips include hands-on learning in the basics of carpentry, electrical, welding and plumbing.

The first Sisters FFA Chapter was started last year with a $10,000 salary grant from the Deschutes County Farm Bureau. The High Desert ESD has numerous grants available to support FFA activities, but these grants cannot be used to cover

salaries.

"Co-curricular activities are the reason that many high school kids come to school," said Sisters High School principal Bob Macauley. "Kids need to make a connection, and co-curricular activities like the FFA program quite often make that connection."

Founded in 1928, FFA is now the nation's largest youth organization, with over 500,000 members in 7,358 chapters. FFA in Oregon now boasts more than 5,000 members in 104 chapters across the state. The annual convention draws 55,000 people from all over the world.

"You never can tell where these kids are going to show up," said Macauley. "Not long ago John Jeans (the FFA instructor and district advisor) showed up on the front lawn outside my window with a heifer and calf, to the delight of the students and staff!"

Macauley and Sisters Country FFA supporters are hoping to retain enough funding in the current school budget cycle to cover an instructor for two class periods. Other expenses for classroom and field trip activities can be covered from other sources. Having two class periods available allows students needed flexibility to cover their schedule requirements.